Did You Know....

that they play baseball outside on real grass? I've been in Metrodome land for so long it almost came as a surprise.

My daughter and I took a road trip last weekend to Milwaukee where she grew up with the Brewers at County Stadium. A couple months ago she commented that it would be really neat to go to Milwaukee to see the new stadium. So we got tickets and off we went.



What a park! It has a retractable roof and has this wonderful imposing view as you walk across the footbridge from one of the parking lots. This is out in center-left field. Off in the distance there where the two parts of the roof come together at a "V" is over home plate area. No, that is not a waterslide on the right. That yellow thing is the slide that Bernie Brewer slides down when there's a home run. Some things don't change.



Sitting on the first base side on a beautiful summer evening (no lake breeze to freeze us out) the stadium has a wonderful feel of old and new. In many ways I felt like I had stepped into a new improved version of old County Stadium. It felt good to be outside for a ball game. I hadn't realized how stale it can feel indoors when the day is so beautiful.



We had the good fortune of seeing one of the truly great ballplayers in action. Ken Griffey, Jr. who has recently hit his 600th home run was playing for the Reds at age 39.



Aaahhh- but baseball in Milwaukee has some traditions that can not be equaled. For one- the famous sausage race is still held....



And the greatest tradition- the 7th inning stretch. No, they didn't play and sing God Bless America. I have nothing against it as a song, but it is not a baseball game song. 9/11 was devastating, yes, but there doesn't need to be that extra song at all ballgames.



And, Take Me Out to the Ballgame was followed immediately by the other venerable Milwaukee song- Roll Out the Barrel. Sorry, no picture. I was too busy singing.

I have no idea what group this was, but it also seems to celebrate another Milwaukee and Wisconsin tradition.



Overall- it was great! I seriously had forgotten the joy of sitting on a summer evening with peanuts and brats and (in my case) a soda while watching a ball game. Obviously many others feel the same way as this was the 8th sellout game of the season for the Brewers. They have greatly improved over the past few years and that too is good to see. Unfortunately, they lost this one.

Having a road trip with your daughter made it all priceless.